Laws banning the advertising of gambling services during live sporting events on Australian TV would be a "welcome first step toward protecting children from the harmful influence of gambling", according to the Australian Christian Lobby.

Lyle Shelton, managing director of the ACL, says advertising for sports betting should be treated in the same way tobacco advertising is.

“Sports betting is only allowed to be conducted by adults so it is unacceptable for gambling advertisements to be promoted to children watching their sports stars on television,” Mr Shelton said in a statement.

His comments come after the Federal Government proposed the idea of imposing greater restrictions on gambling advertising on both free and pay TV - a move which has already led the AFL and NRL to argue that doing so would slash the value of the television rights the two football codes attract.

Mr Shelton said that in addition to banning gambling advertising, the Federal Government should hold an inquiry to consider other methods of protecting children and the community from the "powerful gambling lobby".

“A good way to shine a light on sports betting’s corrupting influence would be for the Parliament to hold a Senate inquiry,” he said.

Sponsors

See your business or event listed here for an introductory price from just $1.50 a day or from $20 a month on the Sight Directory (see below). Inquiries to [email protected]

Sight+ is a new benefits program we've launched to reward people who have supported us with annual donations of $26 or more. To find out more about Sight+ and how you can support the work of Sight, head to our Sight+ page.